Non-spill funnel



March 3, 1964 o. E. PARHANIEMI NON-SPILL FUNNEL Filed Aug. 6, 1962 INVENTOR. OSMO PARHANIEMI ATTORNEYS i+ M E United States Patent 3,123,106 NON-SPILL FUNNEL 051110 E. Parhaniemi, Rte. 1, Box 855, Astoria, Greg. Filed Aug. 6, 1962, Sex. No. 214,962 3 Claims. (Cl. 141-404) This invention relates to an improvement in non-spill funnels and more particularly to a non-spill funnel to be used in the handling of highly inflammable, or dangerous, liquids while transferring said liquids from one container to another.

A primary object of this device resides in the provi sion of means in association with a funnel for catching or trapping any overflow from a container being filled, trapping such overflow in the funnel and then releasing it into a new container or the original one.

A further object of this invention is the provision in a device of this character of an air vent to eliminate any siphoning effect in the spout of the funnel when the funnel is lifted up with overflow liquid in the funnel cone.

Still other objects will in part be obvious and in part be pointed out hereinafter and shown in the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a vertical sectional view of one form of funnel embodying the instant inventive concept.

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view taken substantially along line 22 of FIGURE 1, as viewed in the direction of the arrows; and

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view similar to FIGURE 1 showing a modified form of the invention.

Similar reference characters refer to similars parts throughout the several views of the drawing.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, and more particularly to FIGURE 1, a funnel is generally indicated at and includes an upper inverted frusto-conical member 11 and a down-spout member 12. Located within down-spout member 12 is a suitable float 14, having radial, axially elongated guide vanes 16 integral therewith to guide the upward and downward travel of float 14 within down-spout 12. Suitably secured to float 14 is a rod 18 having a lifting ring 20 formed on its upper extremity. Float 14 is retained within down-spout 12 at its lower end by a retaining pin 22 and at its upper end by an annular seating shoulder or sealing ring 24, formed internally at the juncture of the funnel cone 10 and the down-spout 12.

The modification of FIGURE 3 is identical in all respects to the device of FIGURE 1 and the same reference characters are employed except for the addition of an upper float 26 on rod 18 and a suitable air vent port 30 located near the upper end of the down-spout 12, beneath shoulder 24, is provided, the functions of which will be described later.

In the operation and use of the device, down-spout 12 is placed within a container to be filled. At this point float 14 is in its open position as shown by full line in FIGURE 1 allowing the liquid to flow freely. When the liquid level within the container being filled rises near the top of said container, float 14 is raised until the top of float 14 seats against the seating shoulder 24, as illustrated in broken lines to seal the opening. This stops the entry of additional fluid into the now full container. The operator merely lifts this device out of the filled container by use of the lifting 3,123,1flfl Patented Mar. 3, 1964 ring 20, which operation holds the top of float 14 in sealing relation and assures a tight seal between the float 14 and the seating shoulder 24 until the spout is placed Within another empty container to be filled, or the origi nal container. As can be seen, any excess, or overflow, of liquid is trapped within funnel cone 10 until the lifting ring 20 and its associated rod 18 and float 14 are allowed to fall by gravity.

The modification of FIGURE 3 illustrates the addition of an upper float 26 for the purpose of automatically retaining any overflow liquid 28 Within funnel cone 1% When there is an excess overflow liquid 28 in the funnel cone 1%, the upper float 26 rises and forcibly holds float 14 tightly against the seating shoulder 24. The funnel may now be removed from the filled container with the upper float 26 maintaining the float 14 against seating shoulder 24. In the event that there is insufficient overflow liquid 28 to float the upper float 26, then the funnel may be lifted by lifting ring 20, as before described, the lifting action sealing the top of float 14 against shoulder 24.

The function of the air vent port 30 is to eliminate any siphoning in the down-spout 12 while this device is being lifted when there is overflow liquid 28 in the funnel cone 10, and before down-spout 12 is completely filled.

As many embodiments may be made of this inventive concept, and as many modifications may be made in the embodiment hereinbefore shown and described, it is to be understood that all matter herein is to be interpreted merely as illustrative, and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. A non-spill funnel comprising an inverted frustoconical funnel portion and a substantially cylindrical down-spout communicating with said funnel portion and adapted to be inserted in a container to be filled, an elongated float slidably received interiorly of said downspout, an annular sealing ring integrally formed by the juncture of said down-spout and said funnel portion interiorly of said down-spout against which the top of said float seats when raised by fluid level in said down-spout, means in the lower end of said down-spout retaining said float therein, a lifting ring for said float adjacent the top of said funnel portion, and means connecting said ring to said float.

2. A non-spill funnel comprising an inverted frustoconical funnel portion and a substantially cylindrical down-spout communicating with said funnel portion and adapted to be inserted in a container to be filled, an elongated float slidably received interiorly of said downspout, an annular sealing ring integrally formed by the juncture of said down-spout and said funnel portion interiorly of said down-spout against which the top of said float seats when raised by fluid level in said downspout, means in the lower end of said down-spout retaining said float therein, a lifting ring for said float adjacent the top of said funnel portion, means connecting said ring to said float, said float having radial axially elongated guide ribs thereon, and an auxiliary float carried by said means connecting said ring to said firstmentioned float and positioned in said funnel portion.

3. A non-spill funnel comprising an inverted frustoconical funnel portion and a substantially cylindrical down-spout communicating with said funnel portion and 6 adapted to be inserted in a container to be filled, an elongated float slidably received interiorly of said clownspout, an annular sealing ring integrally formed by the juncture of said down-spout and said funnel portion interiorly of said down-spout against which the top of said float seats when raised by fluid level in said down-spout, means in the lower end of said down-spout retaining said float therein, a lifting ring for said float adjacent the top of said funnel portion, means connecting said ring to said float, said float having radial axially elongated guide ribs thereon, and an auxiliary float carried by said means connecting said ring to said first-mentioned float and positioned in said funnel portion, said downspout portion having an air vent thereon adjacent its juncture with said funnel portion.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 994,730 Evans June 13, 1911 FOREIGN PATENTS 63,163 Germany July 8, 1892 233,797 Great Britain May 18, 1925 426,914 Great Britain Apr. 11, 1935 

1. A NON-SPILL FUNNEL COMPRISING AN INVERTED FRUSTOCONICAL FUNNEL PORTION AND A SUBSTANTIALLY CYLINDRICAL DOWN-SPOUT COMMUNICATING WITH SAID FUNNEL PORTION AND ADAPTED TO BE INSERTED IN A CONTAINER TO BE FILLED, AN ELONGATED FLOAT SLIDABLY RECEIVED INTERIORLY OF SAID DOWNSPOUT, AN ANNULAR SEALING RING INTEGRALLY FORMED BY THE JUNCTURE OF SAID DOWN-SPOUT AND SAID FUNNEL PORTION INTERIORLY OF SAID DOWN-SPOUT AGAINST WHICH THE TOP OF SAID FLOAT SEATS WHEN RAISED BY FLUID LEVEL IN SAID DOWN-SPOUT, MEANS IN THE LOWER END OF SAID DOWN-SPOUT RETAINING SAID FLOAT THEREIN, A LIFTING RING FOR SAID FLOAT ADJACENT THE TOP OF SAID FUNNEL PORTION, AND MEANS CONNECTING SAID RING TO SAID FLOAT. 